The United States Supreme Court today upheld a federal law banning TikTok nationwide unless its Chinese-owned parent company, ByteDance, divests its stake in the app by Sunday.
In response to the ruling, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen praised the court’s decision, emphasizing the national security risks posed by the popular social media platform.
“I’m glad the Supreme Court agreed that Congress acted well within its power to protect Americans from the Chinese Communist Party’s intelligence-gathering tool,” Knudsen said. “There’s no First Amendment right for foreign adversaries to spy on Americans. TikTok poses a serious national security threat. It should be banned, and the law should be enforced on Sunday.”
Knudsen has been a vocal advocate for banning TikTok, citing concerns over data privacy and national security. In December, he led a coalition urging the Supreme Court to uphold the national ban, arguing that the app’s ownership by ByteDance presents unacceptable risks.
Montana has been at the forefront of efforts to restrict TikTok’s presence in the U.S. In 2023, under Knudsen’s leadership, the state became the first in the nation to pass a law banning the app within its borders.
With the Supreme Court’s ruling, enforcement of the federal ban is set to take effect Sunday, unless ByteDance complies with the divestment requirement.